Bailey Rhoney. Photo by Leysha Caraballo
The 49ers continue their smoking hot season, improving to 11-0 after a two game shut out, Friday Feb. 26, in Orlando, Fla. against Yale and Morgan State. Charlotte currently sits one game back from their best win streak and start in program history, which were both set in 2007.
Dominating pitching performances from senior Lexi Betancourt and sophomore Haley Wiseman propelled both victories.
Betancourt sat down 10 batters, allowing just four hits as she picked up her league high seventh win on the season and her second shut out. Wiseman noted her upper classman’s performance and shined in game two, posting a career high 15 Ks, allowing just two hits for her fourth victory of the year.
Three Niners recorded multiple hits in Friday’s opening contest. Sophmore Becca Shipper and Freshman Lizzy Birch and Emma Ocker each tallied two hits. The 49ers highlighted three different names in the finale, displaying depth on offense with sophomore Haley Pace, Grace Beatty and senior Courtney Carroll each cranking out a pair of RBI’s.
Game 1: Charlotte 4 Yale 0
Shipper ended a three-inning drought with single to left, leading things off for the 49ers. Kiersten Berrier reached first on error and advanced to second. After two quick outs, Birch entered, who fouled off six straight before finding her pitch and mashing a ball to left field, bringing home both Shipper and Berrier for Charlotte’s first runs.
Keeping the pressure on Yale, Charlotte produced yet again in the following inning. Ocker led off with an infield single followed by a sacrifice bunt, moving her to second. A double to deep center from Shipper plated Ocker to gain insurance in the fourth inning.
Charlotte added their final run in the fifth to complete the shutout. Betancourt took a no-hitter to the fifth inning before surrendering a single from Yale pitcher, Francesca Casalino.
Game 2: Charlotte 8 Morgan State 0
Most wouldn’t have predicted Wiseman would churn out career high strikeouts after the opening inning, which featured hitting a batter and walking another. But after settling in, Wiseman commanded the mound, carrying a no hitter into the fifth inning and coming just three outs shy of tying the single-game strikeout record set by Katie Watkins in 2013.
Charlotte plated two runs in the first inning, one coming from Ocker utilizing a walk to claim a base, then reaching second on a groundout from Pace. She scored the first of her three run performance on the back of a Beatty single. After a walk and a couple of errors committed by the Bears Beatty too crossed home plate.
The trio of Ocker, Pace and Beatty struck again in the third inning, successfully loading the bases with Carroll on deck.
The senior showed poise in the box, eyeing a few pitches before sinking her teeth into a laser up the third base line bringing home both Pace and Beatty. Carroll was soon rewarded two batters later when Bailey Rhoney singled to right, extending the lead 6-0.
Charlotte forced the mercy rule in the bottom of the sixth after Shipper and Ocker were both batted home by, who other than, Pace and Beatty.
The 49ers spotless record will be tested Saturday when they open another double header against their first ranked opponent of the season in former Conference USA member No. 22 UCF at 3:30 p.m. Syracuse follows at 5:45 p.m.